Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey 14 Years Old

Barrels for 10, 12 and 14 year spend their first 8 to 9 years aging on the top floors of various rickhouses. Then, and much to the chagrin of rickhouse workers who have to haul them out and move them to the bottom floors of other rickhouses, the lower temps there "slow down the extraction." "We look at it like this: When it's on the top floor, it's like searing a steak," he said. Moving it to bottom floor is more akin to simmering food. Fletcher said the 14-year smelled "like cigar covered in molasses." First time I've heard that description, and it was a good one. "The texture of it, some smoke, a leather quality, really, really well-aged American whiskey. As soon as I pop the cork on the bottle and get that waft, that smell of a barrel house ... that never gets old for me." OK, now for my notes on the 14-year-old. As Fletcher said, the nose is big on hard cherry candy and rich, well-managed alcohol. Dried fig and molasses mix in with saddle leather, pipe tobacco, flamed orange peel and bruleed sugar. Give it a short rest and you'll find toasted walnuts and chocolate-iced devil's food cake.